We are in the planting seed business and apply seed treatment each years. Syngenta is one of the companies who supplies the seed treatment that we use on our wheat seed. What we use does not have neonicotinoid pesticides in it. The treatment we use is for soil fungus, not insect control.
My family has owned/operated farms in this county since 1889. We do care about protecting our land and crops. We only sell seed locally and in bulk.
Now, this area is a large cotton producing area and much of the cotton seed planted here does have Neonicotinoid treatment.
We did quit Texas A&M as a seed supplier due to the joint effort that A&M made with Syngenta. That effort was/is to control seed breeding and is not in the interest of US farmers. And yes, they are very powerful politically.
We partnered with Oklahoma State University as our seed source. They are great people and have the interest of the producers in mind. Breath of fresh air.
To your credit, you are certainly doing your part to not have neonicotinoid pesticides in your fields and you are to be commended with sincere thanks from all bee keepers. The frustrating thing is that the bees will fly 3 or 4 miles from their hives, so they may encounter another farmer’s field that is using Monsanto seed.
We are in the process of building a house on our land in NC so that we can move up there full time and move the entire apiary there. Selling “locally produced” honey here in the Atlanta area is very profitable due to so many allergy doctors recommending their patients use it, and we hate to give that up. Up in the NC mountains the honey will sell for at least a dollar per pound less (maybe even $2 less) than it does in Atlanta. But the danger of loosing many hives to Colony Collapse is so great that we need to get all the hives up in the mountains.
Our hobby has turned into a mini honey business since my hubby retired from the corporate world.... and that really helps in this economy!